Mixed-color light emitting diode apparatus, and method for making same

ABSTRACT

A mixed-color light emitting diode (LED) apparatus may be made by forming a pixellated array of LEDs on a substrate, and then placing phosphors over at least some of the LEDs. The phosphors are chosen to convert light emitted by the LEDs to one or more different colors. The LEDs may be lithographically printed on the substrate, and the phosphors may be lithographically printed on the LEDs.

BACKGROUND

Direct view, mixed-color (e.g., red, green and blue (RGB)) displays are often formed using a combination of thin-film transistor (TFT) and liquid crystal technologies. Another alternative is to form a display using light emitting diodes (LEDs). That is, a plurality of LEDs of different colors (e.g., RGB) may be arranged on a substrate in pixellated fashion. However, the formation of displays using different colored LEDs has been hampered by high manufacturing costs, as it is difficult to properly place and attach millions of differently colored LEDs (e.g., RGB) to a common substrate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, a mixed-color light LED apparatus comprises a substrate, a pixellated array of LEDs formed on the substrate, and a plurality of phosphors placed over at least some of the LEDs. The phosphors convert light emitted by the LEDs to one or more different colors.

In another embodiment, a method for making a mixed-color LED apparatus comprises 1) forming a pixellated array of LEDs on a substrate, and placing phosphors over at least some of the LEDs (with the phosphors being chosen to convert light emitted by the LEDs to one or more different colors).

Other embodiments are also disclosed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Illustrative and presently preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 provides a plan view of an exemplary mixed-color LED apparatus;

FIG. 2 provides a cross-sectional view of the LED apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates a method for making a mixed-color LED apparatus such as that which is shown in FIGS. 1 & 2; and

FIGS. 4-10 illustrate the making of a mixed-color LED apparatus using an exemplary embodiment of the FIG. 3 method.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

One reason for the lower manufacturing cost of a TFT/LCD display (versus an LED display) is that the electrical and colorizing components of a TFT/LCD display are separately manufactured, and then mated together. That is, the TFTs of a TFT/LCD display are formed on a first substrate (typically silicon), and the color filters of a TFT/LCD display are formed on a second substrate (typically glass). The two substrates are then aligned and mated with other display components in a sandwich-like assembly process. Often, the display's TFTs are formed on a substrate using a lithographic printing process.

In contrast to a TFT/LCD display, the electrical and colorizing components of an LED display are integrated. That is, the material used to manufacture an LED (an electrical element) determines the color of light that will be emitted from the LED. Hence, the color of light that is emitted from an LED is fixed. This also fixes the color of light that is emitted from a given position in an LED display. Thus, in an RGB LED display, a pixellated array of red, green and blue LEDs, each of which is formed using a different type of material, needs to be formed on a common substrate. This co-manufacture of different types of devices on a common substrate has made the manufacture of LED displays difficult.

FIGS. 1 & 2 illustrate a mixed-color LED apparatus 100, wherein a pixellated array of LEDs 104-134 are formed 302 (FIG. 3) on a substrate 102 (e.g., a wafer or die of material such as silicon). A plurality of phosphors 136-158 are then placed 304 over at least some of the LEDs 104-118, 128-134, such that the phosphors 136-158 convert light emitted by the LEDs 104-18, 128-134 to one or more different colors.

By way of example, the LEDs 104-134 of the apparatus 100 may be nominally identical in material composition and color of light emission and, by way of example, may be blue or near-ultraviolet LEDs. As known in the art, these types of LEDs may be formed using an Indium-Gallium-Nitride (InGaN) alloy.

The pixellated array of LEDs 104-134 may be formed by depositing an LED layer structure on the substrate 102. In one embodiment, the LED layer structure comprises a number of active semiconductor layers sandwiched between upper and lower metallization layers. By way of example, the LED layer structure may be formed by first depositing a metal layer 400 (e.g., a thickfilm; see FIG. 4) on the substrate 102. This layer 400 may then be photolithographically patterned and etched to form individual and/or interconnected electrical contacts; or, as shown, this layer could be used as a node or terminal that is common to all LEDs 104-134. The requisite layer(s) 500 needed to form blue or near-ultraviolet LEDs 104-134 are then deposited (see FIG. 5). In one embodiment, these layer(s) 500 are grown using vapor deposition. These layer(s) 500 may then be photolithographically patterned and etched to form an array of active LED areas 104, 112, 120, 128 (see FIG. 6). At this stage of manufacture, each of the active LED areas 104, 112, 120, 128 is surrounded by a perimeter “void”. These voids may optionally be filled with oxide 700, 702, 704 (FIG. 7) to present a planar surface over which a second metal layer 800 (FIG. 8) may be deposited. This second metal layer 800 may then be photolithographically patterned and etched to form contacts 900, 902, 904, 906 for individual ones and/or groups of the active LED areas 104, 112, 120, 128 (see FIG. 9).

Depending on the number and types of layers in the LED layer structure, its layers may be patterned and etched individually, or at the same time.

Patterning and etching LEDs in accordance with the method is not only more cost-effective than placing and attaching individual LEDs on a substrate, it also provides for better alignment of the LEDs.

Phosphors 136-158 that are capable of converting blue or near-ultraviolet light to different colors of light (e.g., red, green and possibly blue light) may then be placed over some or all of the LEDs 104-118, 128-134 by, for example, lithographically printing them on the LEDs (see FIG. 10). In this manner, an RGB display (FIGS. 1, 2 & 10) may be formed using an array of only blue or near-ultraviolet LEDs 104-134.

In one embodiment, phosphors 136-150 that convert blue light to green light are printed on about fifty percent (50%) of the display's LEDs 112-118, 128-134; and phosphors 152-158 that convert blue light to red light are printed on about twenty-five percent (25%) of the display's LEDs 104-110. In another embodiment, phosphors that convert near-ultraviolet light to red light are printed on about twenty-five percent (25%) of the display's LEDs; phosphors that convert near-ultraviolet light to green light are printed on about fifty percent (50%) of the display's LEDs; and phosphors that convert near-ultraviolet light to red light are printed on about twenty-five percent (25%) of the display's LEDs. In these embodiments, each pixel in the display would comprise four LEDs (e.g., 104, 112, 120, 128), the colors of which would be mixed (e.g., by regulating the drive currents of the LEDs) to produce the color of a single image pixel.

Although examples have been provided wherein only blue or near-ultraviolet LEDs are formed on a substrate, other colors of LEDs (e.g., red or green) could also be formed on a substrate. Further, more than one type of phosphor could be placed over some or all of the LEDs. For example, a mix of phosphors that emit light in red, green and blue wavelengths could be placed over an LED to generate a white light.

It is also envisioned that apparatus formed in accordance with some or all of the above teachings need not be a full-color display. That is, any form of mixed-color LED apparatus (i.e., a display wherein two or more colors of light are mixed to produce the color of an image pixel) may be formed using the above teachings. One could also form a merely utilitarian or decorative device using the above teachings. Exemplary utilitarian devices include lamps and other light sources, or display backlights. An exemplary decorative device would be mood lighting. 

1. A mixed-color light emitting diode (LED) apparatus, comprising: a substrate; a pixellated array of LEDs formed on the substrate; and a plurality of phosphors placed over at least some of the LEDs, said phosphors converting light emitted by the LEDs to one or more different colors.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pixellated array comprises LEDs which are nominally identical in material composition and color of light emission.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the LEDs are blue LEDs.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the phosphors convert light emitted by some of the blue LEDs to one of two different colors.
 5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein: wherein the phosphors convert the light emitted by about twenty-five percent of the blue LEDs to red light; and the phosphors convert the light emitted by about fifty percent of the blue LEDs to green light.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the LEDs are near-ultraviolet LEDs.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the phosphors convert light emitted by some of the blue LEDs to one of three different colors.
 8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein: the phosphors convert the light emitted by about twenty-five percent of the near-ultraviolet LEDs to red light; the phosphors convert the light emitted by about fifty percent of the near-ultraviolet LEDs to green light; and the phosphors convert the light emitted by about twenty-five percent of the near-ultraviolet LEDs to blue light.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the LEDs are formed from InGaN alloy.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the phosphors are lithographically printed on the LEDs.
 11. A method for making a mixed-color light emitting diode (LED) apparatus, comprising: forming a pixellated array of LEDs on a substrate; and placing phosphors over at least some of the LEDs, said phosphors being chosen to convert light emitted by the LEDs to one or more different colors.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the LEDs are formed on the substrate simultaneously, and are nominally formed of the same material composition.
 13. The method of claim 11, wherein the pixellated array is formed by: depositing an LED layer structure on a substrate; and selectively etching portions of one or more layers of the LED layer structure, thereby forming the pixellated array of LEDs.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the selective etch is performed by photolithographically defining the areas to etch.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the LEDs are blue LEDs.
 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising, selecting and printing phosphors that cause light emitted by some of the blue LEDs to be converted to one of two different colors.
 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising, printing phosphors that convert blue light to green light on about fifty percent of the blue LEDs, and printing phosphors that convert blue light to red light on about twenty-five percent of the blue LEDs.
 18. The method of claim 14, wherein the LEDs are near-ultraviolet LEDs.
 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising, selecting and printing phosphors that cause light emitted by some of the near-ultraviolet LEDs to be converted to one of three different colors.
 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: printing phosphors that convert near-ultraviolet light to red light on about twenty-five percent of the near-ultraviolet LEDs; printing phosphors that convert near-ultraviolet light to green light on about fifty percent of the near-ultraviolet LEDs; and printing phosphors that convert near-ultraviolet light to blue light on about twenty-five percent of the near-ultraviolet LEDs. 